Click on each picture to learn some facts about each object.The planets are not stationary objects, each planet revolves and rotates around the solar system, but what is the difference between the two types of movements?
Rotation is when a planet or moon turns all the way around or spins on its axis one time. The axis of rotation is an imaginary line going from the north pole to the south pole of the planet. Planets also orbit around the sun. When a planet or moon travels once around an object, such as the sun, this is considered a revolution.
A satellite is any object that orbits around a larger object in space. Satellites that are made by people and launched into orbit using rockets are called artificial satellites.
A natural satellite is any object in space that orbits around a larger body and is not artificial. Moons are natural satellites.
Let’s take a closer look at the Sun and the planets.
Click on each picture to learn some facts about each object.
| Sun | |
| Diameter: | 1,390,000 km (863,400 miles) |
| Mass: | 1.989 X 1030 kg |
| Period of Rotation: | 58.65 days |
| Average Surface Temperature: | 6,000° C (10,800° F) |
| Average Internal Temperature: | 15,000,000° C (27,000,000° F) |
| Main atmospheric Component: | Hydrogen |
| Mercury | |
| Diameter: | 4,880 km (3,031 miles) |
| Mass: | 33 X 1022 kg |
| Number of Natural Satellites: | 0 |
| Average Distance from the Sun: | 57,910,000 km (35,974,272 miles) |
| Period of Rotation: | 58.65 days |
| Period of Revolution: | 87.97 days |
| Average Surface Temperature: | 179°C (354° F) |
| Main atmospheric Component: | Helium |
| Venus | |
| Diameter: | 12,103 km (3,031 miles) |
| Mass: | 487 X 1022 kg |
| Number of Natural Satellites: | 0 |
| Average Distance from the Sun: | 108,200,000 km (67,214,920 miles) |
| Period of Rotation: | 243.0 days |
| Period of Revolution: | 224.7 days |
| Average Surface Temperature: | 482°C ((899° F) |
| Main atmospheric Component: | Carbon Dioxide |
| Earth | |
| Diameter: | 12,756 km (7,924 miles) |
| Mass: | 598 X 1022 kg |
| Number of Natural Satellites: | 1 |
| Average Distance from the Sun: | 149,600,000 km (92,933,000 miles) |
| Period of Rotation: | 23 hrs, 56 min |
| Period of Revolution: | 365.2 days |
| Average Surface Temperature: | 15°C (59° F) |
| Main atmospheric Component: | Nitrogen |
| Mars | |
| Diameter: | 6,794 km (4,220 miles) |
| Mass: | 64.2 X 1022 kg |
| Number of Natural Satellites: | 2 |
| Average Distance from the Sun: | 227,940,000 km (141,050,000 miles) |
| Period of Rotation: | 24.62 hours |
| Period of Revolution: | 687 days |
| Average Surface Temperature: | -63°C (-81° F) |
| Main atmospheric Component: | Carbon Dioxide |
| Jupiter | |
| Diameter: | 142,984 km (88,823 miles) |
| Mass: | 190,000 X 1022 kg |
| Number of Natural Satellites: | 62 |
| Average Distance from the Sun: | 778,330,000 km (482,546,000 miles) |
| Period of Rotation: | 9.84 hours |
| Period of Revolution: | 4333 days |
| Average Surface Temperature: | -121°C (-185° F) |
| Main atmospheric Component: | Hydrogen |
| Saturn | |
| Diameter: | 120,536 km (74,565 miles) |
| Mass: | 56,900 X 1022 kg |
| Number of Natural Satellites: | 53 |
| Average Distance from the Sun: | 1,429,400,000 km (884,740,000 miles) |
| Period of Rotation: | 10.25 days |
| Period of Revolution: | 29.46 years |
| Average Surface Temperature: | -125°C (-193° F) |
| Main atmospheric Component: | Hydrogen |
| Uranus | |
| Diameter: | 51,118 km (31,755 miles) |
| Mass: | 8,690 X 1022 kg |
| Number of Natural Satellites: | 27 |
| Average Distance from the Sun: | 2,870,990,000 km (1,783,487,000 miles) |
| Period of Rotation: | 17.3 hours |
| Period of Revolution: | 84 years |
| Average Surface Temperature: | -193°C (-315° F) |
| Main atmospheric Component: | Hydrogen |
| Neptune | |
| Diameter: | 49,492 km (30,744 miles) |
| Mass: | 10,280 X 1022 kg |
| Number of Natural Satellites: | 13 |
| Average Distance from the Sun: | 4,504,300,000 km (2,798,116,000 miles) |
| Period of Rotation: | 15.8 hours |
| Period of Revolution: | 165 years |
| Average Surface Temperature: | -201°C (-330° F) |
| Main atmospheric Component: | Hydrogen |
Let’s see what you have learned. Answer the following questions.
Which planet has the lightest mass?
Which planet has the most natural satellites?
Which planet is the farthest distance from the sun?
Which planet has the shortest rotation?
Which planet has the longest revolution?
Which planet has the lowest surface temperature?
Which planet’s main atmospheric component is helium?
Sources for images used in this section, as they appear, top to bottom: